preventing drop eye.
- Thread starter Flexxx
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Don't know if its 100% possible to prevent drop eye. Theres too many unverified claims of drop eye causes floating around.
Here are some of the causes that I have heard of:
1. The arowanas unhealthy diet of fatty foods, namely feeder fish, causes fatty deposits behind the eye (seems like the most plausible reason)
2. An Arowana sees its own reflection in the bottom of bare tanks causing it to look down (This claim was disproved in a previous post)
3. The arowana was overfed while young
4. Poor water quality
5. Tank raised Arowana always get drop eye
6. It is caused by having food dropped in front of them
7. It is caused by having the arowana search the bottom of the tank for food
8. Having a bottom dwelling fish catches the arowanas attention forcing it to constantly look down.
9. It was caused by genetics
These are mainly the ones I keep hearing over and over again, though I think most of them are bull. Also young arowanas don't normally show signs of drop eye until its around 8-10 inches so it's not really possible to tell if you're doing a good job until its too late. Sorry if you didnt get the answer you were looking for, but I tried.
Btw, heres a link to a previous drop eye discussion: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101149&highlight=drop+eye
Here are some of the causes that I have heard of:
1. The arowanas unhealthy diet of fatty foods, namely feeder fish, causes fatty deposits behind the eye (seems like the most plausible reason)
2. An Arowana sees its own reflection in the bottom of bare tanks causing it to look down (This claim was disproved in a previous post)
3. The arowana was overfed while young
4. Poor water quality
5. Tank raised Arowana always get drop eye
6. It is caused by having food dropped in front of them
7. It is caused by having the arowana search the bottom of the tank for food
8. Having a bottom dwelling fish catches the arowanas attention forcing it to constantly look down.
9. It was caused by genetics
These are mainly the ones I keep hearing over and over again, though I think most of them are bull. Also young arowanas don't normally show signs of drop eye until its around 8-10 inches so it's not really possible to tell if you're doing a good job until its too late. Sorry if you didnt get the answer you were looking for, but I tried.
Btw, heres a link to a previous drop eye discussion: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101149&highlight=drop+eye
I came up with an idea to prevent drop eye, but I am not sure how much it would help.
The reason I think they get it has to be the tankmates on the bottom. I mean looking up they don't really see much, as opposed to the wild where all their food usually comes from above.
This is what I have been thinking and I have no way to prove it, but I want to test it on my aro if he ever gets dropeye. First I want to get some floating plastic plants, that will float above the aro moving around gently with the current. Then about once or twice a month, place a frog on the floating plants, and let it jump off and get the aro used to eating stuff that just falls into the water at random time periods (also crickets could be used).
This way it might train the aro to always be on its toes, or fins, and to keep him looking up in case some delicious food falls.
Its been just a thought experiment at the moment, but I don't see why it couldn't work. Also remove the bottom dwelling fish (if its an option), I would first try to just remove the bottom dwelling fish, and then after a month, try the food thing with the fake lily pads.
The reason I think they get it has to be the tankmates on the bottom. I mean looking up they don't really see much, as opposed to the wild where all their food usually comes from above.
This is what I have been thinking and I have no way to prove it, but I want to test it on my aro if he ever gets dropeye. First I want to get some floating plastic plants, that will float above the aro moving around gently with the current. Then about once or twice a month, place a frog on the floating plants, and let it jump off and get the aro used to eating stuff that just falls into the water at random time periods (also crickets could be used).
This way it might train the aro to always be on its toes, or fins, and to keep him looking up in case some delicious food falls.
Its been just a thought experiment at the moment, but I don't see why it couldn't work. Also remove the bottom dwelling fish (if its an option), I would first try to just remove the bottom dwelling fish, and then after a month, try the food thing with the fake lily pads.
I have two 24" silver aros one I adopted at 21-22" and it already had DE in one eye. The other I have raised from 3". It did not get DE until 18", the DE occured after violent collision when it got spooked. At 23" it got DE in it's other eye, again after a smashing against the top brace of the aquarium. So IME DE can be caused by trauma the the head.
There are reports of silvers recovering from DE when kept in ponds. What I beleive is that aros kept in aquariums are not able to recover from DE, because of the lack of using the their eyes in the upward or even forward directions. Also they are subjected to repeated head trauma.
I as too the overfeeding, this could also be a possible contributer. As stated before my silver's DE did not occur until 18". The growth rate of my silver was on the slower side, from 3" to 18" in 16 months. I did not stuff my aro and only fed good quality foods. Live feeders were home raised and only fed once a week.
The chances of raising a silver aro in a home aquarium without DE are next to zero, although I'm sure it can be done.
There are reports of silvers recovering from DE when kept in ponds. What I beleive is that aros kept in aquariums are not able to recover from DE, because of the lack of using the their eyes in the upward or even forward directions. Also they are subjected to repeated head trauma.
I as too the overfeeding, this could also be a possible contributer. As stated before my silver's DE did not occur until 18". The growth rate of my silver was on the slower side, from 3" to 18" in 16 months. I did not stuff my aro and only fed good quality foods. Live feeders were home raised and only fed once a week.
The chances of raising a silver aro in a home aquarium without DE are next to zero, although I'm sure it can be done.
Let's say I have a platinum silver aro. I would probably be placing it in an 8x3x2 tank Filter would be 75gal gravity filter(same as sump filter but the filter is above with overflow back to the main tank) and a canister filter to pump water from the tank to the 75gal filter . Automatic water change maintaining Amonia=0, Nitrites=0, Nitrates>3. Tankmates would only be 4 redhooks. The tank would be placed on the floor with the bottom,sides and back of the tank painted black, top would be covered with net with hanging plants. Diet would consist of pellets, with occasional SW and beef heart.
An 8x3x2 tank would provide a very good swimming space for the aro. Filter system would maintain the water parameters specially with the automated WC. Tank placed on the floor will cause the aro to keep looking up, much like placed in a pond. Diet would consist of proteins with very little fats. Hanging plants placed on the net above the aro would have its roots hanging down to the tank simulating natural environment.
With this much attention to the Aro I don't think it would get the DE. Only a platinum silver aro would make me go to this trouble in keeping a pristine conditioned setup
An 8x3x2 tank would provide a very good swimming space for the aro. Filter system would maintain the water parameters specially with the automated WC. Tank placed on the floor will cause the aro to keep looking up, much like placed in a pond. Diet would consist of proteins with very little fats. Hanging plants placed on the net above the aro would have its roots hanging down to the tank simulating natural environment.
With this much attention to the Aro I don't think it would get the DE. Only a platinum silver aro would make me go to this trouble in keeping a pristine conditioned setup
